


You're My Future

by stalltherain



Series: Ones You Love [7]
Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Apologies, Attempted Seduction, Awkward Flirting, Character Death Fix, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, First Time, Flereal, Flirting, Fluff and Angst, Flurtleneck, Garcia Flynn Deserves Better, Garcia Flynn Lives, Garcia Flynn takes a shower, Gentle Kissing, Kissing, Lots of kissing, Love, Love Confessions, Lucy Preston is blatantly in love with Garcia Flynn, Lucy comes on hard and Flynn is confused but into it, Naked Cuddling, Post-Canon Fix-It, Romance, Rough Kissing, Sexy Times, Sleeping Together, Slow Burn, Slow Burn is Now Burning, Teasing, Time Travel Fix-It, not smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:40:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26429515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stalltherain/pseuds/stalltherain
Summary: After saving Garcia Flynn, Lucy helps him adjust to the changes in 2025 while struggling with how to handle her feelings for him. (Part 7/7)
Relationships: Garcia Flynn/Lucy Preston
Series: Ones You Love [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1849153
Comments: 6
Kudos: 46





	You're My Future

**Author's Note:**

> If you're not here for the Garcy, turn back! Recommend reading the full series first, but if you’re just looking for Garcy fluff & kissing, there’s probably enough detail included to get by reading this part alone

Voices travel through the bunker hallway as Lucy hurries toward the main room to check on Garcia. Arriving in the common area, she finds him still asleep on the sofa. Rufus, Jiya, and Connor are gathered around the kitchen tables, comparing the differences in the timelines each remembers. With their rescue mission complete, the others are eager to get home and escape bunker living. Despite the inconvenience, Rufus announces his intent to wait until the doctor arrives to check on Flynn then thank the man who saved his life. With the doctor over an hour away, Lucy insists the others go home, assuring Rufus he’ll have a chance to thank Garcia later. Making promises to start reviewing the mothership logs from the alternate timeline as soon as possible to save Amy, the group says their goodbyes. 

After the others are gone, Lucy takes a seat on the coffee table and watches Garcia. His head rests on the pillows she piled near the arm of the sofa. A streak of blood colors his lip. His hair and clothes are covered in dust from his fight with Jessica. The sofa is too small for his frame, and his legs extend off the front. The blanket she draped over him lies on the floor. 

Lucy picks it up and covers his shoulders. Brushing her fingers through his hair, she removes a bit of debris. Her hand hovers near his temple before she strokes the soft hair above his ear. Leaning over him, her eyes slide closed and her face softens with contentment at knowing he’s safely home. For the first time since she returned from giving him the journal, she feels like her world is on the way to becoming whole again. She’s finally taken control, corrected her mistake and started down her own path.

He softly groans, and she snaps her hand away.

His eyelids flutter then he squeezes them tight before cracking one eye open. He blinks, rubs his eyes, and sits up. "Hey."

"Welcome back. How do you feel?"

He rakes his hand through his hair. "The headache is gone." He notices his dust-covered hands and clothing. "But I could use a shower."

"Come on." She stands and holds one hand in front of him. He grabs it, and she pulls him to his feet. "Can you manage on your own?"

He blinks down at her. His tongue flicks over his lips before they turn into a smirk. "What’s your plan if I can’t?"

As ideas Lucy hadn’t meant to insinuate come to mind, her cheeks flush and nervous laughter escapes her lips. She stuffs away the image of the two of them together as she tucks her hair behind her ear and rocks onto the balls of her feet. "I didn't think it through."

He chuckles. "Thanks, but I'll be fine."

Garcia strides out of the room, and Lucy’s heart sinks as she watches him leave. After seven years without him, multiple trips through time, and never being certain she would bring him home, she just wants to hold onto him and never let go. Yet when finally face to face, all she’d done was accidentally offer to help him shower. She should have kissed him or told him how she felt. Hell… she should have just followed through on that offer; she definitely wanted to.

Lucy drops onto the sofa and cranes her head to see him. As he slips out of sight, she lets out a frustrated whimper. "Also, I love you..."

###

Garcia pulls open the door to his room. A cabinet is pulled close to the bed, and a hairbrush rests on top. A t-shirt that seems too small to be his lies discarded on the floor. Dismissing the out of place items, he crosses the room and opens the locker where his clothes are kept. His brow furrows when his shirts aren’t organized the way he keeps them. He rifles through them, searching for his burgundy turtleneck before remembering he’d worn it to 1848 then left it in the lifeboat after changing into the clothes of that period. Instead, he grabs his gray shirt and dark jeans. 

After picking up a towel, he heads for the shared bathroom. He groans at the soreness in his right arm as he pulls off his shirt. Inspecting his latest gunshot wound, he’s relieved that the stitches have held through his fight. Stepping into the shower, the warm water pours over him, washing away the layer of dust that coats his skin. He lifts his face and lets the spray soothe what’s left of the pain lingering behind his eyes. 

The bunker feels off. He can’t quite figure out what’s changed or why; it’s not just things out of place in his room. The air feels different, like the almost imperceptible change to the atmosphere when traveling to the past. Lucy seems different. Although she still seems like the woman he knows, the concern in her eyes reminds him of the two versions who traveled to see him in the past. And in Garcia’s foggy memory of his trip to 2012, Wyatt even seemed like a completely different person. Maybe it’s all just his imagination; a lingering effect of crossing his timeline.

When the water starts to cool, Garcia steps out and gets dressed. Towel-drying his hair, he wanders back to the common room and stops when he spots Lucy curled on the sofa watching an empty screen. "Hey. So where is everyone?"

Lucy turns her head then leaps to her feet. She rushes across the room and throws her arms around him, pushing him back a step from the contact. The towel slips from his hand onto the floor as he regains his balance. With his arms still at his sides, he registers the woman wrapped around him. Only in his imagination did he ever expect his Lucy to get this close. He gingerly returns her embrace, and in response, she snuggles further into him. He stiffens. "Lucy?"

"Hmm?"

"I’m not complaining, but what is this for?"

Lucy sighs and relaxes into him. "I'm glad you're back."

"So am I." He rests his chin on her head then catches himself when he starts to rub a circle on her back. With his brain getting silly ideas about her intentions, he seeks escape before he embarasses himself. "This might sound like a weird question, but…" Garcia leans back, and she releases her grasp enough that he can peer down at her. "Did Wyatt call me his best friend?"

She exhales a quiet laugh. "He might have."

"Why?" He takes a step back, separating himself from Lucy. "What am I missing?"

She hesitates then retreats. Guilt washes over her as she perches at the edge of a table and tells him how long he’s been gone. Afraid to reveal too much after her confession of leaving him behind, Lucy navigates the details of the alternate timeline without mentioning their kiss that caused the change or the resulting marriage between the alternate her and Garcia.

"Wow, seven years." He pushes a chair aside and props himself against another table across from her. "That explains why my stuff isn't where I left it."

Lucy pulls herself onto the tabletop and swings around to face him. "I'm sorry."

Garcia shrugs. "It's just clothes."

"No..." Lucy fixates on her hands in her lap. "I mean, I’m sorry I didn't come back for you when I should have." 

"It's okay, Lucy," he assures her with a soft smile. "I didn't expect a rescue."

She fidgets with her hands and frowns. "I know, but that’s even more reason that I should have. You did that for me, and I just…" Her voice trails off.

"Hey." He leans forward and waits for her to look at him. "I’m alive thanks to you. I’m not that concerned with the timing." 

Lucy’s mouth curls upward on one side in appreciation.

His shoulders tense as he realizes how she knows the reason he did what he did. "Uh…" He swallows. "Did you read my letter?"

Lucy bites her lip and raises one shoulder.

He groans, lifting his face toward the ceiling as he covers his eyes. _One good thing in my life._ He might as well have just written that he was in love with her. He hadn't made much effort to hide it. "That’s mortifying." His hand slips to his chin, hiding half his face as he meets her eyes and laughs nervously. "You were only supposed to read that if I died. Which I guess I did, but I didn’t anticipate coming back afterward." His hand falls away from his face. "I hope what I wrote about you doesn’t make you uncomfortable."

Lucy blinks in surprise. "No, not at all." A smile forms as she thinks of his closing words. _All my love._ "It was sweet."

The hue doesn’t leave his cheeks as he presses his palms on the table’s edge and leans back. "Please tell me you didn't show it to the others."

Lucy smothers her smile, but with how cute he looks when embarrassed, she can’t resist prodding. "Only," she scrunches her face, feigning guilt, "...everyone."

His color drains. "You didn't?"

She laughs. "Of course not."

The corner of his eyes crinkle in amusement as he draws his lower lip in with his teeth. "This is why you shouldn't write love letters."

"A love letter?" Lucy leans forward with her elbows on her thighs and a hopeful smile playing at her lips. "Is that what it was?"

He drops his head and ruffles his damp hair to hide his face. When he finds the courage to meet her eyes, his tongue trails over his lower lip until it lands on one side then transitions to an awkward laugh. "Would you believe me if I lied?"

A playful spark flashes in her eye. "Do you have a reason to lie?"

"Besides embarrassment?" Unsure if he’s seeing what he thinks he’s seeing, he narrows his eyes accompanied by a tilt of his head. "You tell me. I’ve been dead for seven years."

She tilts her chin up and crosses her legs. "I can’t think of any."

He studies her. Surely, Lucy must be back with Wyatt by now. Then again, she didn’t seem distressed about the timeline swap she described. "So… you and Wyatt…?"

The glint in her eye fades. "Divorced."

"Oh!" He jerks backward. "I’m…" He takes a long pause before leaning forward. "Sorry...?"

She sputters. "No, you’re not."

His eyes dance. "You’re right. I’m not." He watches her as his fingers tap the table. "That’s not entirely true. As much as I disliked Wyatt, I meant what I wrote. I hoped you would be happy." 

"I know, and it wasn't all bad. I do have two kids to show for it. Twin girls."

He smiles. "Belated congratulations."

"Thanks." She returns his smile and fidgets with her hands before admitting their names. "Amy and Flynn."

"Oh!" Still grinning, he shakes his head. "You didn't?"

Her nose wrinkles. "I did."

He chuckles. "I’m flattered then. I can’t wait to meet them." He pauses. "Assuming that’s okay with you." 

"Of course it is."

Garcia leans back, rubbing his injured arm as he takes in the room. "I’d ask what else I’ve missed, but there’s already a lot to process."

His movement draws Lucy’s attention to the toned muscles visible beneath his sleeves, sending her thoughts to their feel as her hands traveled his body. Her mouth on his. His hands on her hip and in her hair. She bites her lip as she feels the rush of the memory of a kiss ended too soon. A kiss he may even not realize was shared with her, not some other Lucy. With a hint of seduction, she tilts her head and responds, "I’ll bring you up to speed slowly."

He grins broadly. "I look forward to it." His eyes sparkle as they meet hers, connected in silence. 

Lucy’s gaze travels to his lips as she considers resuming the kiss she’d halted. Though for her it was only hours ago, it had been much longer for him. She wonders if he still feels the same. Had he come to regret it? He gave his life to ensure her happiness, so while Lucy is confident of his love for her, there are many types of love. A single passionate kiss in another time under different circumstances doesn’t mean he wants to be with her the same way she wants him now. The alternate Garcia clearly had, but she reminds herself they’re not the same person; finally understanding his dilemma of knowing her from another timeline while not knowing her. She takes a breath and meets his eyes, working up the courage to ask.

"So I was wondering..." She trails off and bites her lip, second-guessing herself when every variation of the question that comes to mind seems either crass, pathetic, or desperate.

A smile plays at his lips. "What?"

Feeling emboldened by the look on his face, her eyes devour him as she rests her chin on her hand. "Maybe there are other things you might look forward to." 

Garcia blinks and grips the edge of the table, scrutinizing her for a sign he’s misreading the situation. The way she starts biting her fingertip couldn’t be more obvious if she tried, but the idea of Lucy blatantly coming onto him seems so unlikely that he doesn't trust his judgment. He shifts his eyes to the floor and runs his hand along the edge of the table. "Lucy, can I ask you a question? One that will be embarrassing for me if the answer is no."

"Of course."

He studies her. "Are you flirting with me?"

She scrunches her nose. "I’ve been _trying_."

"Oh!" Jolted by the unexpected answer, he braces himself like he's about to fall backward. His brain swims. The last time they spoke, she hinted at the possibility of seeing him differently, but she couldn’t have held onto any feelings for him, certainly not years later. There has to be some other explanation. "Why?"

Wondering if he hadn’t yet pieced together that she was the one who kissed him in the past, Lucy raises her eyebrows. "You really don’t know?"

He crosses his arms and retreats to the security of a joke. "Is it this sweater?"

"Well…" Lucy tilts her head, purposefully eyeing him. "It's not _not_ the sweater."

He laughs nervously, surprised she didn't seize the opportunity to backtrack. "If this is the reaction it gets, I'll wear it more often."

"No objection from me," she focuses intently on him, "but you look good in anything."

Still confused but grinning at her flattery, he scrutinizes her. With a raised eyebrow, he calls her bluff. "Oh really?"

She catches a glint in his eye and decides to push forward. Scanning him head to toe, she wets her lips. "Or nothing if you prefer."

His eyes widen and his shoulders pitch forward as his body heats from her words. "Wow!" Squashing his illicit thoughts, he rubs his palm over his cheek. "Lucy, I don’t understand what’s going on here."

She bites her lip. "I’m trying to seduce you, but it’s clearly not working."

He swallows and nods. "No... it's _definitely_ working." When her eyes spark and she slides off the table, he wills his feet to stay planted. "It's just… This is a bit out of nowhere."

Lucy takes a hesitant step forward, nearly closing the distance between them but still holding the edge of the table she’d left with one hand. "A lot has happened since you last saw me. I know what I want now."

His pulse quickens at the nearness of her, and he stifles the thought of pushing her onto a table and raining kisses over her body. His voice comes out hoarse as he asks, "Is that so?"

"Mmm hmm," she hums, taking another step. His hand brushes her hip as she moves toward him. She skims her fingers up his arm and along his shoulder. She stops herself from pulling him to her, feeling like their first kiss is still a secret she has to reveal before moving further. "So... I have an embarrassing confession." 

He studies her face as his hands settle around her waist. "Oh?"

"Do you remember Connecticut in 1934?" she asks as her fingers toy with the hair at the nape of his neck.

His tongue slides over his bottom lip as he remembers the kiss shared with a woman he thought of as another Lucy; a version that wore a wedding ring which he considered, along with the journal, to be a sign fate was against them. Now, he isn't so sure. He swallows and leans downward. His voice is just above a whisper as his breath mixes with hers. "Do I even need to ask how you know about that?"

Lucy raises an eyebrow. "I’ve wanted to do it again all day."

A smile spreads across his face. "Only a day?" His eyes darken. "I’ve been waiting for months."

She raises onto her toes, snaking both arms around his neck. "I've waited years. I just didn't know it until now."

He smirks as his fingers skim the top of her jeans. "Well if we’re counting when we didn’t realize it yet..."

She smiles and pulls him down until his lips connect with hers. He kisses her gently, with tenderness molded from the uncertainty of approaching too close and causing a mirage to fade; lingering fear that she could never really be his.

Lucy’s fingers splay through his hair, drawing him in further. With fierceness intent on making up for the years she'd lost without him, she drags his mouth hard into hers. He sucks in air at the stinging reminder of his injured lip. Lucy squeaks an apology, but he whispers an assurance and plunges back to her. When his doubts give way to hunger, he pulls her waist into him and tangles his hands in her hair. As they continue to explore each other’s mouths and bodies, he guides her backward until they hit the table. He lifts her onto it.

She reaches for the button on his jeans, and his hesitation returns. He whispers against her lips, "We don’t need to rush."

"Our first kiss was ninety years ago." She withdraws slightly to meet his eyes. Hunger flashes in hers as she replies, "I think we’re past rushing."

He ticks his head and his eyebrow shoots up. "Okay, I’ll give you that."

She drags his mouth back to hers. Her hands wander his broad chest. His mouth trails her jaw and down her neck before working his way upward again. She lets out a hum as his tongue targets below her ear. "Garcia…"

He pulls back to face her.

Startled, she searches his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"You've never called me that before."

"Oh." She peeks up at him. "Is that okay?"

He grins. "Absolutely." His eyes sparkle as he leans in. "I prefer to be on a first-name basis if you're taking off my clothes."

Lucy wraps her legs around him, pulling his body against hers. "You haven’t let me yet."

"I want to, but..." He rests his forehead against hers. "I don't want to be a spur of the moment mistake that you regret." Smoothing his hand over her hair, he adds, "We have plenty of time. I'm not going anywhere."  
  
Her eyes peer up into his. "I’m not going anywhere either. I understand why you’re worried, and I know you left because you thought my heart belonged to someone else; that the contents of that journal meant we couldn’t last. I let myself believe it too, because it was easier to fall back instead of move forward into something so real it was terrifying. I was foolish and afraid. I shouldn’t have let you push me away. I should have told you that it doesn't matter what’s written in some unreliable book. That woman wasn't me. That was just one possibility, not our fate." She covers his hand on her shoulder with her own. "If you’d have given me the chance, I would have chosen you. Now that you’re back, I'm never letting you go." Her eyes fill with an intensity he's never seen from her. "I won't regret being with you, and I don't need even a second more to know that, Garcia."

He recaptures her lips in a kiss like she’s only ever imagined; unrestrained longing and joy. Lucy returns every bit of it until he lifts her with his uninjured arm. "Come on."

"Where?" she asks, wrapping herself around him.

"My room. I admire your enthusiasm for this table, but," he teases, "maybe we save it for later."

Lucy laughs and covers his mouth with hers. They make their way toward his room with Lucy in Garcia’s arms, ravaging each other along the way. When they reach the heavy door, he pins her against the wall. Lucy whimpers as he trails kisses down her neck and over her collar bone. He pulls his lips away to reach for the door handle, but Lucy’s fingers halt his chin. She drags him back to devour his mouth.

"I have to open the door," he says against her lips.

"Okay, but can we add this to the list for later?"

He smirks. "I’m thrilled there’s already a list." 

He swings the door open. Lucy yelps as he drags her away from the wall and through the door. He carries her into the room and onto the bed. Kissing her, he guides her backward. When he sweeps her hair off her shoulder with his left hand, he notices a familiar adornment on his finger. He stills then shifts to sit on the edge of the bed as his hand scrubs his face.

Disoriented by his abrupt absence, Lucy sits up, studying him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just…" His eyes fix on the metal band.

"Oh." Lucy holds a breath. Her heart sinks at the reminder of a familiar pain. She curses herself for making the same mistake a second time; falling for a man who would rather return to someone he couldn’t have. She was a fool for assuming he would be different. She can’t look at him as she pushes aside the fear of losing him and offers the chance to change his mind, to choose the hope of returning to his lost wife. "If this… us. If it's not what you want, I understand. I don’t want to be in the way."

He grabs her hand. "No, that's not it." He shifts his head in her direction, transfixed on her hand in his. "I wouldn't do that to you. Even if we change the past, it's still the past. No matter what, you're my future for as long as you want to be. Nothing will change how I feel about you." His eyes scan the floor as he searches for the right words to explain. "It just doesn’t feel right to be with you while I'm wearing Lorena's ring. It wouldn’t be fair to either of you."

"If you're not ready to take it off, that's okay." Lucy places her other hand on top of his. "Like you said, there’s no rush. I'm not going anywhere."

Garcia exhales slowly. "No, it's the right time. I just haven't taken it off for years. It feels…" His voice trails off.

"Wrong?"

He shakes his head. "Final." He squeezes her hand as he remains focused in front of him. "But it's okay. It should feel that way. It's been final long before now. My heart has been yours for longer than I realized." 

Offering support, she strokes the back of his hand beneath hers. "You have to give up on saving her. I know Lorena and Iris are important to you. I would never expect you to give up on either of them for me."

For the first time since Garcia's eyes landed on his ring, he meets Lucy’s gaze. He brushes the back of his fingers over her cheek as he adores her face. She closes her eyes and leans into his touch. He kisses her softly, taking his time to worship every millimeter of her lips. Before becoming lost, he stops himself.

Lucy searches his eyes as he pulls away. "Do you want to be alone?"

"No, please stay."

Garcia's hands tremble as he slides off his wedding band and turns it between his thumb and forefinger. He encloses it in his palm before leaning forward and resting his head on both hands. Tears threaten to breach the surface, and he reminds himself that he's not breaking his promise. The woman who gave him the ring is gone, and so is the man she married. He's done terrible things; things she could never accept, and he would never ask her to. 

But Lorena would want him to be happy. With Lucy, the woman who saved both his life and soul, he finally is. Lucy knows what he's done, but she looks past the desperate acts of vengeance to see the decent man underneath. Not just the man he used to be but the possibility to rebuild himself; changed by his experiences and actions but still worthy of love. And through Lucy, he sees that too.

He gently places the ring on the file cabinet near the bed. He runs his hands along the length of his thighs and exhales, staring at the space in front of himself.

Lucy places a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He shifts on the bed to face her. "I really am, but more than that, I’m happy I'm here with you."

Lucy smiles. "So am I." She leans forward and strokes his hair at the temple. "You have no idea how much I wanted you back."

The corners of his eyes crease as he teases her with a lopsided smile. "I think I'm getting a good idea."

She bites her lip and shakes her head, remembering the desperation she felt as she lost another version of him in her arms. "Not even close."

"Oh? Want to tell me about it?"

"Yeah." Lucy slides closer, slipping her arms around his neck. "But right now, I’d rather show you if you don't mind."

He leans in and slides his hands around her waist. "Anything for you."

###

The rhythm of Garcia’s heart pulses under Lucy’s ear as his chest rises and falls. His fingers filter through her hair, and he places a kiss on top of her head. She props herself up on her elbow and trails her finger up his arm, around his freshly-stitched wound, continuing past, and stopping at the scar just below his neck. One from a bullet the night she met him; the other from the day he’d left.

"I’m sorry about these."

He furrows his brow and shakes his head. "They’re not your fault."

She peers down at him, her hair falling near his cheek. "But I’m the one who gave you that journal and started the whole thing."

He tucks her hair behind her ear. "Let me remind you that you’re also the reason I’m alive."

"I should have found another way. Kept you from going through the things you did."

"Lucy, everything that’s happened led me to you. There’s nowhere I'd rather be than right here." He softly kisses her then pulls away. "Speaking of…" He tilts his chin toward the night table where a hairbrush sits that isn’t his. "What’s been going on in here?"

"Oh." Positioning herself on her side in the narrow bed, Lucy props her head on her hand. "I used your room while we tried to get you back. This isn’t exactly how I left it, but I guess I must have stayed here in the new timeline too."

"So what about this?" A grin creeps over his lips as he rolls onto his side to face her. Reaching over her and behind her head, he pulls out a piece of starkly contrasting fabric sticking from under the pillow. His burgundy turtleneck sweater emerges.

Lucy’s eyes widen. "That!? Well…" She blinks innocently. "This is technically a different timeline than I left. Anybody could have put that there."

He lets the shirt fall onto the bed then runs his fingers along her jaw. "Anybody?"

She shrugs one shoulder and grins. "Anybody who kept it after we took it out of the lifeboat in 2018."

"Really?" His fingers slide across her shoulder. "Why would that person put it under a pillow?"

"Well, they could have been secretly sleeping in it and not wanted anyone else to see." Lucy bites her lip to squash a smile. "But I wouldn’t know about that."

"So…" He places a kiss on her shoulder. "Why would they sleep in it?"

"It seems comfortable."

"True." Smiling, he runs his fingers over the bare skin at the curve of her waist. "But whoever this was could have gotten comfortable pajamas anywhere."

"Well…" She fidgets with the edge of the pillow case. "It could have been because it’s the last thing they saw you wear before you left, and it made them feel close to you."

"Lucy," his hand slides up her back, "that's the cutest thing I've ever heard." He places a kiss on her lips. "You can keep it if you want. I bet it looks better on you."

"And deprive myself of seeing you in it again?" She places a hand on his chest and pushes him backward, leaning over him then scrunches her nose as she whispers, "No way."

He flips her onto her back. "I guess we have to share," he teases before he lowers his lips to hers. After a moment, they're interrupted by a chime from her phone cutting through the air. 

She pulls back. "Oh my god. The doctor!"

"Who?" he asks before he lays kisses down her neck.

She tilts her head, battling between giving into him and needing to know for certain he’s well. "Denise called a doctor for you. She’s probably here."

His breath warms her skin as he replies, "I'm just fine now that I’m here with you."

Lucy’s eyelids slip closed at his tongue traveling her body. She fists his hair in her hands then sighs and makes a half-hearted effort to object. "We don't know that for sure."

"I can see a doctor later." He continues his path along her skin.

Her head falls back as she’s tempted to give in, but her need to keep him safe wins out. "I would feel better knowing you’re okay."

He suckles her skin once more before he hesitates. "Okay." He pulls back to meet her eyes then grins. "But only if you wear my sweater tonight."

Lucy laughs. "Deal."

###

Garcia navigates the familiar bunker kitchen, hoping that whatever happened in this timeline, the team at least managed to stock breakfast. He opens the fridge and is relieved to discover a half-gallon of milk. The chilled air whooshes across his bare torso as he flings the fridge door shut. He grabs the box of cereal from the top shelf then watches Lucy on the other side of the room wearing nothing but his burgundy turtleneck sweater, searching the bunker’s movie stash.

"Feels weird here without everybody else. I almost miss them all." He opens the cabinet and grabs two bowls. "I guess it'll just be me for now… unless Rittenhouse _does_ have a new time machine."

Lucy rolls up the sleeve of her oversized shirt and hits the power button on the television. "You don’t have to live here, you know." She pops in the DVD that seemed most appropriate to accompany breakfast and hits play. 

"I may not be on any wanted lists anymore, but I’m still officially dead. That won't look good on a lease application." He finishes filling the bowls. "Plus my last place of residence is a bunker in the middle of nowhere."

She bounces across the room and hops onto the sofa, grabbing the back as she faces Garcia. "You could stay with me."

"I would love to, but what about your kids?"

"I’ll talk to them first." Lucy takes the bowl Garcia hands her as he joins her on the sofa. "They understand I'm divorced now."

He rubs his leg, hesitating to answer too quickly. "I don't think I should. Your divorce is still recent, and I haven’t even met them yet. If I just suddenly show up living with you, they’ll hate me." He looks sheepish as he adds, "I do really want them to like me."

Lucy scrunches her nose, admitting to herself that he has a valid point. The girls have adjusted to their parents no longer being together, but that doesn’t mean they were ready for another man to move in with their mother. It’s not like she could pretend she and Garcia were only friends. The girls are perceptive enough to know better and would resent them both for the lie. She sighs. "I can’t just leave you alone out in the middle of nowhere. The boredom alone will kill you. I don’t even think there are any books left that you haven’t read."

"It won't be so bad." He gestures with his spoon toward the cartoon playing silently on the TV. "I have plenty of fine entertainment."

With an amused smile, Lucy digs her spoon into her bowl. Despite his assurances, she’s not going to leave him stuck here. "I'm sure one of the others will be willing to let you stay with them. Most have had a change of heart since you last saw them."

He cocks his head as he swallows a bite of cereal. "Yeah. I guess I could make it work temporarily. It would be great to go out in public again. It’s been years since I’ve been able to do that without using a time machine."

Lucy stills her hand mid-air. "I hadn’t even thought about that." She drops the spoon into her bowl and shifts to face him. "We’re going out tonight."

"Out where?"

"Anywhere you want." She grins. "I’m taking you on a date."

"Sounds great." He hesitates then sucks in a breath and makes an exaggerated grimace. "As long as you’re paying. I have no money and no job."

Lucy’s eyebrows shoot up as she huffs. "I'm not that far behind you. I quit my job a few weeks ago."

Garcia lowers his bowl into his lap. "Really? Were you still teaching?"

"Yeah, but you and Amy were right." Lucy chases cereal around the bowl with her spoon. "I never wanted to be a professor at Stanford. I did it for my mother."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Not sure yet. I never really figured out for myself what I wanted to do. My current plan was to save you then take it from there." She smiles then lifts a spoonful to her mouth.

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out." He lifts his bowl. "Until at least one of us gets a job, I'll make sure I'm a cheap date."

With lips closed, she grins as she swallows. "My bank account appreciates it."

He finishes another bite. "Do you want to bring the kids tonight? I'd like to meet them."

Lucy purses her lips. "Maybe not for our first date. Let’s leave them with Wyatt tonight."

"Up to you, but is he going to have a problem with us going out?"

She huffs a laugh. "Maybe, but not in the way you’d think."

"What do you mean?"

"In his timeline, he never got back together with Lucy. They were just friends. When I called earlier to check on the kids, he was like a grandmother talking you up and pushing me to get together with you. He’ll be thrilled we’re going out." She tilts her head and teases, "If not a little disappointed he’s not the one spending time with you."

Garcia chuckles uncomfortably. "I don’t even know how to react to that."

"You and me both, but apparently the other you helped him through some difficult issues." Lucy’s eyes brighten as an idea occurs. "I bet he’d love to have you stay with him."

He grimaces.

Lucy tilts her head. "It could be your best option."

Putting on a skeptical smile, he replies, "Let’s play that by ear."

Lucy nods, completely understanding his hesitation. It had surprised her when this Wyatt had offered to care for Garcia. If she had a hard time wrapping her head around their friendship, Garcia definitely would. But it was nice to think that maybe one day they could all be friends if for nothing else than the children’s sake. "I should go see them today. I have a lot to fill him in on. Want to come figure it all out with me? You can meet the kids too."

He doesn’t hesitate. "Absolutely." As he sets his empty bowl on the coffee table, he notices two pictures in the middle. The corner of one sticks out from beneath the other. "What’s this?" He stretches his arm forward to retrieve them.

Lucy’s chest tightens when she realizes that one of the others must have taken the alternate timeline photos out of the lifeboat. She grits her teeth, fairly sure that showing your partner a picture of your wedding on the first day of your relationship is a great way to scare them off. To buy time while she searches her brain for an excuse to hide the wedding photo without arousing suspicion, she places her bowl on the table. She comes up empty and instead does her best to sound casual, answering honestly, "Photos from the other timeline. The other Garcia gave them to me."

He leans back and tilts them to face her. The photo of Lucy, Amy, and her mother sits on top. "Is this your sister? I’ve never seen her before."

"Yeah." Seeing Amy’s face, Lucy’s nervousness drops away. A half-smile graces her lips. "I used to wish I could see that photo again. It's funny, you'd think after I found out who my mother really was, that would have tainted it. But it still reminds me of how happy Amy and I were."

He offers her a reassuring smile. "We’ll bring Amy back."

"I know." And Lucy means it. For the first time since she lost her sister, Lucy finally feels like there’s hope. Garcia and her children are alive. Wyatt even saved Jessica. If he was able to set things right even after the setbacks and changes, maybe whatever curse causing their plans to crumble has finally lifted. Maybe Garcia was right all along, and they really can save the people they love. Lucy places her hand on his leg. "We’ll save Iris and Lorena, too."

Garcia nods and places his hand over hers. A moment later, he shuffles the top photo behind the next. He freezes when he takes in the image of himself, Lucy, and their wedding party. "You left out this detail about the other timeline."

She pastes on an exaggerated smile and peeks up at him. "Oh, did I?"

To Lucy’s relief, Garcia doesn’t show even a hint of hesitation. He laughs and pulls her into him to place a kiss on her head. "What was he like, the other me?"

"Hmm…" Lucy fidgets with the sleeves of the large sweater, reflecting on her experience with the other Garcia. One thing stood out above all others. "He was in love with his Lucy. I think they were really happy."

Smiling, he sets the photos down. "Lucky guy."

"She seemed like the lucky one to me."

Shifting on the sofa, he faces her. "I don’t think he and I were that different."

"Why?" She grins and a teasing spark reaches her eyes. "Your same infuriating knack for knowing way too much about me?"

Laughing, he answers, "No." He brushes his thumb over her cheek. "Because I'm in love with you."

Lucy beams. With eyes sparkling, she swings her leg over him to slide onto his lap, "Good, because I'm in love with you, too." She runs her fingers through his hair, pushing it off his forehead. "So… What do you say we add this sofa to that list and cross it off right now?" 

He holds her by the hips. "Shouldn’t we get going? I’m pretty sure it's already the middle of the afternoon."

"Nah. The girls are having a blast at their grandma’s. We’ve got plenty of time." She slides her hands along the warmth of his bare chest. "We might not have another chance to be down here alone, and I feel like this spot has a special meaning."

"Why's that?" His hands travel down her legs.

"This is kind of where our friendship started."

For a second, his brow furrows followed by a look of realization. "When we watched that movie?"

Lucy nods. "And you brought me a beer."

His hands slide back up her bare legs. "Well, when you put it that way..."

Smiling broadly, Lucy kisses Garcia. Overjoyed that the crumbled pieces of her world are mending, she merges into him. Like unfired clay ground to dust but molded back into a creation more beautiful; not yet complete and shaped nothing like before she was shattered. She feels safe, and seen, and loved for being the person she wants to be. Finally, Lucy feels truly happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! Thanks again to SetFiresJust2WatchThemBurn for incredible help & suggestions.
> 
> Although some threads are left untied, hopefully this was a satisfying conclusion. I considered writing a longer story beyond just saving Flynn, but wasn’t sure if there would be much interest past Flynn coming back. Open to continuing if there is interest.


End file.
